Equalizer for ladders



Jullt 16, 1925.

1,542,775 H. F. HUSTED EQUALIZER FOR LADDERS Filed Feb. 18. 1925INVENTOR.

V Zurogzvtv.

Patented June 16, 1925.

rile,stares ear-EM ore! :HAlBsR'YwF. nusmnn, 5oz DALLAS, PENNSYLVANIA;

EQUALIZEK we appens- Application filed February T0 (ZZZ 107mm.z't'flnag/ 0011mm.-

- Be it"kiiown that LfHARRnF. HUs'raD a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing atDallas in the county ofLuzerne and" State of Pennsylvania,have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Equalizers forLadders,' of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an adjustable foot device for laddersandhasfor itsobject to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth adevice. of such '(class with means to prevent the body of a ladder frominclining in a transversedirection fronifthe vertical therebymaintaining. the (ladder. equalized :WllQll mounted on {an inclined orirregular shaped supporting surface; i

A further object of thefinvention is to provide, in a manner a ashereinafter set forth, an adjnstablejfoot or equalizing device for aladder including means for locking the device in adjusted position .tomaintain the {ladder equalized when the device is mounted on an inclinedor irregular shaped supporting surface. i

'A further object of the invention is .to provide, "in i a manner, vashereinafter set "forth, afoot or equalizing device; for alad- Jderincludingabodiflv shiftableladder carrier automatically tdj'ustablebytheweight silient, bodily shif table "ladder equalizing carrier. v

*Furtherobjects'rofsthe invention are to p'1 ovide, i1i a manner a anequalizing device for; ladders :ivhich; i. simple in its constructionand arrangement, strong; durable, *conipact, thoroughly efiifeient andcomparatively inei ipensivevtoinanui'iacture. i

' i'th' the foregoing and other objects in viewythe invention consists.of the ,DOYQl construction, combination and arrangement o'f parts', ashereinafter more specificallyfdescribed and "illustrated in theaccompanying 1 ill.

of the inventionfisf to s"hereina-fter: set forth, j

' he plate wings, wherein. isshovvn an embodiment 18 1925. SerialNo.310,069.

of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variationsand modifications can-be resorted to which fall within the scope of theclaims hereunto appended.

In jthe drawings *W-llQlGlll like refer enechaiacters -denote@corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure *1,--is. a sectional elevation 'of an adjustable foot orequalizing 'dev-ice in accordancewith this invention, and fur-thershowingthe adaptation thereof in connection-iv-ith the lower end of aladder.

Figure 2, is a fragmentary v-ieW,-}in front elevation, uponamen-largedscale.

Figure 3, is section on} line 3-3, ure -E Z. r V

Figure 4a, is asec't-ion on -l;-ine-4-4,-Figure I 1 Figure 5 isa sectionon line f'iti F-igure 1. Referring to the draivingsdn detail '1 denotesthe lower round and 2, 3,the sidebars of a ladder and connected to,arranged between and projecting from the lower ends of said side-bars'ist n-adjustable -footor equalizing device in accordance With thisinvention. v

' The footer-equalizing device comprises, a: pairofsupportingelementseach forming ahohsihgand consisting of avertically 'd-isposedrectangular flat metallic plate' tyhai ingsecu-red against the lGWBIfEEIIHiHQil portionof its innerzfacey by the. countersunk holdfastdevices 5,-a polygonal shaped block '6; ;.pret"erabl3 construotedofavoo'd and-which constitutes a foot .piece. Positioned against Itheinnerface of the plate at, as Well asmountedonthe-top ofthe-foot---piece-6,"is a ver- :ticalgly disposed channel-shaped-1ne1nber'7,

which in connection -with the plate A: pro- *vides a polygonalshaped-socket '8. The member 7. is forinecl-\vi-tli apair-of -oppositelydisposed; "lengthwise eXtend-ing flanges =9,=-10,-Which abutagainstthe-'inner-face of the-plate- 51- and are fixedly securedto thelat- 'ter by the countersunk hold fast devices 11. Theaneinbe-ri'r'isflush withithe top edge -0f 4c.) and the fl-anges 9, 10, are flu'shwith i the side and top edges of the latter.

Extending-intoeach-socket 8 to the bottQXllOf the latter -formed by-thetop of the footpiece'G ,is one end terininal portionof v a contractileand expan's'ible arch-shaped combined coupling and supporting--member'12 formedfrom a strap' of spring metal. The endterminal portionsiofthemember 12. are indicated at -13"ande ach is-posi-tioned against theinner face of a plate 4, as well as being fixedly secured to the latter,by a series of spaced countersunk hold-fast devices 14.

Slidably mounted in the sockets 8, supported by the member 12 andsecured to side bars 2, 3 of the ladder is an automatically adjustable,contractible and expansible bodily shiftable ladder equalizing carriercomprising an arch-shaped coupling member 15, formed from a strap ofspring metal and having its end terminal portions 16 slidably niountedin the sockets 8. Secured to the outer face of each end terminal portion16, by the countersunk hold-fast devices 17, is a vertical disposedpolygonabshaped guide bar 18 which is of greater length than an endterminal portion 16, flush at its lower end with the lower end of thelatter, and further extending a substantial distance above the endterminal portion 16, and

spaced from the intermediate or curved portion of the member 15. Securedto the outer side face of each of the bars 18 at the upper portionthereof, is the inner arm 19 of an angle-shaped bracket 20. The outerarm of the bracket 20, is indicated at 2i and is se cured to the lowerportion of the front face of a side bar of the ladder. The arms 19 spacethe bars 18 from and maintains the carrier inwardly with respect to theside bars of the ladder. The arms 19 are secured to the bars 18 bycountersunk hold fast devices 22 and each of the arms 21 is detachablyconnected to a side bar 2 or 3 by member 15, and the foot pieces 6mounted on an inclined or irregular supporting surface,

' the weight of the ladder will automatically .shift the carrier untilthe position of the ladder has become equalized, after which the members12 and 15 are clamped together by the screw 29 and the carrier will beretained in the position to which it has been adjusted. The member 15shifts upon the member 12, the latter providing a support for theformer. The carrier is guided by the bars 18, in connection with thewalls of the sockets 8, and furthermore the bars 18, in connection withthe walls of the sockets '8 prevent the spreading relatively to eachother of the end terminal portions 16 of the member 15. The two members12 and 15,

an adjustable foot or equalizing device for ladders, in accordance withthis invention, can be readily understood, and although the preferredembodiment of the invention as described and claimed, yet. it is to beunderstood that changes in the details of construction can be had whichwill fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described the invention what I claim is:

1. An equalizing device for ladders comprising a pair of socketedsupporting elements opposing each other, an arch-shaped resilient membercoupling said elements together, and an arch-shaped, resilient,automatically adjustable ladder carrier slidably extending into saidelements, mounted on said member and having means for connection to thelower ends of the side bars of a ladder, said carrier adjusted by theweight of the ladder when said elements extend 1 one above the other.

2. An equalizing device forladders comprising a pair of socketedsupporting elements opposing each other, an arch-shaped resilient membercoupling said elements together, and an arch-shaped, resilient,automatically adjustable ladder carrier slidably extending into saidelements, mounted on said member and having means for connection to thelower ends of the side bars of a ladder, said carrier adjusted by theweight of the ladder when said elements extend one above the other, andmeans secured to said carrier and engaging said member for securing thecarrier in adjusted position.

3. An equalizing device for ladders comprising a pair of socketedsupporting elements opposing each other, an arch-shaped resilient,member coupling said elements together, and an arch-shaped, resilient,auto matically adjustable ladder carrier slidably extending into saidelements, mounted on said member and having means for connection to thelower ends of the side bars of a ladder, said carrier adjusted by theweight of the ladder when said elements extend one above the other, andsaid carrier having a pair of guide bars slidably mounted in saidelements and carrying the means of connec tion with the side bars of theladder.

4. An equalizing device for ladders comprising a pair of socketedsupporting elements opposing each other, an arch-shaped resilient membercoupling said elements to gether, and an arch-shaped, resilient, automatically adjustable ladder carrier slidably extending into saidelements, mounted on said member and having means for connection to thelower ends of the side bars of a ladder, said carrier adjusted by theWeight of the ladder when said elements extend one above the other, andmeans secured to said carrier andengaging said member for securing thecarrier in adjusted position, and said carrier liavinga pair of guidebars'slidably mounted in said elements and carrying the means ofconnection with the side bars of the ladder.

5. An equalizing device for ladders comprising a pair of socketedsupporting ele- V ments opposing each other, an arch-shaped resilientmember coupling said elements together, and an arch-shaped, resilient,automatically adjustable ladder carrier slidably extending into saidelements, mounted on said member and having means for connection to thelower ends of the side bars of niatically adjustable ladder carrierslidably extending into said elements,.mountedon said member and havingmeans for connection to the lower ends of the side bars of a ladder,said carrier adjusted by the weight of the ladder when said elementsextendone above the other, and means secured to said carrier andengaging said member for securing the carrier in adjusted position, themeans of connection to the ladder consisting of a pair of brackets eachformed of a pair of arms disposed at right angles to each. other.

7. An equalizing device for ladders comprising a pair of connected,spaced socketed supporting elements opposing each other and anarch-shaped, resilient automatically adjustable ladder carrier havingvertical guide bars slidably mounted in and projecting upwardly fromsaid elements and adjusted by the weight of the ladder to equalize theposition thereof when one of said elements projects above the other.

8. An equalizing device for ladders comprising a pair of spaced socketedsupporting elements opposing each other and having an arch-shapedconnection therebetween, and an arch-shaped, resilient automaticallyadjustable ladder carrier having vertical guide bars slidably mounted inand projecting upwardly from said elements and adjusted by the weight ofthe ladder to equalize the position thereof when one of said elementsprojects above the other, and means for detachably securing said carrierin adjusted position to the connection between said elements.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature hereto.

I HARRY F. HUSTED.

